Philippine Experience Research Articles

Negotiating North–South dynamics and the Philippine experience in the WTO

This paper elucidates how domestic and external factors have shaped the negotiating policy of the Philippines in bringing about incremental gains not only for its benefit but also for other developing countries during the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture Doha Development Round (DDR). The internal factors include the following: (1) executive monopoly of the WTO negotiations; (2) issue-based fragmentation and dispersal of authority; (3) the autonomy and flexibility of the Philippine WTO negotiator; (4) the involvement of civil society in the WTO negotiations, and (4) the central role of the Department of Agriculture as the lead agency in the WTO negotiations. A major reason for this is attributed to an external factor which is the centrality of agriculture as a major WTO issue among developing countries. Other external factors, on the other hand, include the following: (1) the strong solidarity among developing countries and (2) the confinement to particular issues with regards to coalition-building. These factors helped to strengthen the bargaining leverage of the Philippines, a seemingly ‘weak’ country, vis-à-vis the developed countries in the WTO.

Histories of health in Southeast Asia: perspectives on the long twentieth century

Introduction / Sunil Amrith and Tim Harper Part I. The Long Duree 1. Knowledge Transition and the Transformation of Medicine in Early Modern Siam / Komatra Chuengsatiansup & Nopphanat Anuphongphat Part II. Health and Crisis 2. Pilgrim Ships and the Frontiers of Contagion: Quarantine Regimes from Southeast Asia to the Red Sea / Eric Tagliacozzo 3. The Influenza Epidemic of 1918-19 / Kirsty Walker 4. Disaster Medicine in Southeast Asia / Greg Bankoff Part III. Uneven Transitions 5. The Demographic History of Southeast Asia in the Twentieth Century / Peter Boomgaard 6. Rural Health in Modern Southeast Asia / Atsuko Naoko 7. Population Ageing and the Family: The Southeast Asian Context / Theresa W. Devasahayam 8. Epidemic Disease in Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asia / Mary Wilson Part IV. The Politics of Health 9. The Internationalization of Health in Southeast Asia / Sunil Amrith 10. Modernising yet Marginal: Hospitals and Asylums in Southeast Asia in the 20th Century / Loh Kah Seng 11. Healing the Nation: Politics, Medicine and Analogies of Health in Southeast Asia / Rachel Leow 12. Health or Tobacco: Competing Perspectives in Modern Southeast Asia / Loh Wei Leng 13. The Role of Non-governmental Organizations in the Field of Health in Modern Southeast Asia: the Philippine Experience / Teresa S Encarnacion Tadem Notes Contributors Index

The Catholic Church in the Philippine Public Sphere

Whether religion has a place in the public sphere is a complex issue. Many thinkers believed that the rationalization process of modernity would result in secularization and banish religion into the private sphere. Religion has not only survived; it has even taken an active role in the political affairs of the state. This has been the case in countries like the Philippines where the publicity and activism of the Catholic hierarchy in the political public sphere of the country have been sustained and to some extent dominant. Said publicity and activism are carried out in the name of religion and the pursuit of a religious mandate accordingly. Although the reactions to such public involvement have not always been the same, these varying reactions still make sense in light of some theoretical understanding about the specifically political role of religion in the modern society. The aim of this paper is to make a modest contribution to such understanding by reflecting on the place and function of religion in the public sphere. It trains a special focus on the Philippine experience and employs mainly the view of Jurgen Habermas, an “agnostic and secular thinker” but one who has written extensively on the public sphere and recently revised his stance from thinking that religion will be overtaken by the rationalization of society to admitting that religion has something important to contribute in the public sphere.

Locating Civic Engagement through Social Media during Calamities: The Philippine Experience

Locating Civic Engagement through Social Media during Calamities: The Philippine Experience

A Case for Cohabitative Security: The Philippine and Malaysian Experience

This article attempts to explore and analyse the evidence for cohabiting the human security concept into the national security frameworks of ASEAN countries. Using the Philippines and Malaysia as case studies, the article determines the extent to which public officials and policymakers have redefined and reenvisioned national security by incorporating non-traditional, people-centered elements of human security. The word 'cohabitation' refers to national governments' efforts to amalgamate statist and humanist dimensions of security when articulating and implementing their national security rhetoric and agenda. It argues that human security naturally complements state security, and vice versa. As such, human security and state security co-exist in a constructive manner that enhances the overall level of national security. In other words, they are mutually constitutive rather than mutually corrosive. Both cases underscore a two-pronged assumption. First, the meaning and provision of national security can neither be eloquently articulated nor completely substantiated without considerations for 'below the state' actors and issues. And second, the eminent status vis-a-vis power of the state in providing national security can neither be trivialized nor undermined.

Feasibility and clinical utility of molecular profiling among metastatic cancer patients: A cancer center experience in Philippines.

e22132 Background: Molecular tumor profiling can serve as a biomarker to facilitate directed personalized treatment guided by tumor biology, thus, maximizing treatment potential. However, feasibili...

Philippine English revisited

ABSTRACTIn this paper, I argue that the Three Circles Model of Kachru, a profoundly influential and instructive model for approaching the varieties of Englishes across the world, might be re‐examined in the context of the Philippines, in order to better capture the sociolinguistic realities of Outer Circle speakers of English. Using the Philippines as an example, I hope to demonstrate that within the Outer Circle that is the Philippines, there are circles of English as well. While some educated Filipino scholars have rejected the dominance of American English in the Philippines, others remain ambivalent about the place of Philippine English in such domains such as English language teaching. And for a majority of the Filipinos, to whom English of whatever variety remains elusive and inaccessible, English is irrelevant. Thus, the situation for the Philippines is that there is an Inner Circle, an Outer Circle, and an Expanding circle of English. By presenting the Philippine experience of English through this framework of ‘circles within circles,’ I hope to offer a more nuanced position on the acceptability of Philippine English among Filipino users of the language.

Development of a national occupational therapy disaster preparedness and response plan: the Philippine experience

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. In 2009, a national disaster risk reduction, response and management framework was enacted (Republic Act [R.A.] 10121, 2009). This framework does not currently include occupational therapists. In order to be part of the disaster prepared and response process in the Philippines, occupational therapists need to be better equipped. In response to this need, Occupational Therapy Association of the Philippines (OTAP), the national professional association of occupational therapists in the country conducted a national workshop with an aim to formulate a national occupational therapy disaster preparedness and response plan. They gained collaboration with several government and private individuals and institutions in order to achieve their goals. This article presents the process strategies used in convening and conducting the workshop. It discusses the objectives and tasks contained in the plan. It is envisioned that this article will inform occupational therapists in other countries, particularly developing ones, about a process for developing and implementing disaster preparedness and response plans.

Regulatory government examinations and training of maritime personnel–implications in health: Philippine experience

Regulatory government examinations and training of maritime personnel–implications in health: Philippine experience

The Right to Organize in the Philippine Business Process Outsourcing Industry

There has been some concern over the past few years that nations with emerging economies are sacrificing human dignity over economic progress. An emerging market such as the Philippines has to deal with a host of economic, social, and political issues as its economy develops. One of the issues that concern those who are involved in human rights advocacy is labor rights. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the labor rights issues surrounding the Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, specifically the right to organize. It also aims to investigate how the changing structure of the Philippine economy has affected the labor rights of its people. This paper will use the BPO industry in the Philippines as a case study. This paper will also try to compare the Philippine experience with those of other countries in order to put its findings in context. Finally, the paper shall examine the effects of globalization on workers’ ability to organize and advocate for their rights.

Mass Culture and Cultural Policy: The Philippine Experience

Mass Culture and Cultural Policy: The Philippine Experience

Reframing Coordination Challenges for Public-Private Partnerships in Disaster Preparedness

Disaster preparedness invariably needs effective coordination among stakeholders. This paper explores several dimensions useful for examining some current issues and opportunities in coordinating public-private effort in disaster preparedness based on the Philippine experience. More specifically, the structural, political, human behavior, and symbolic frames of coordination are discussed. The study has implications for improving the conduct of disaster preparedness in the future from the standpoint of managerial effectiveness.

Development of Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis Among Patients Treated With Category II Regimen: A Lung Center of the Philippines Experience

Development of Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis Among Patients Treated With Category II Regimen: A Lung Center of the Philippines Experience

Development: A Look at Definitions and Models and the Philippine Experience

The concept of development has, over the years, been changing in scope and meaning as well as on the manner of attaining it. As such, various definitions of development have emerged along with so called models or theories of development that explains conditions of underdevelopment and prescribe perspectives on development and the ways of attaining development objectives with their some specific criteria and parameters for measuring the same (UNDESA 2003). This is so, as government’s perspective on development will determine the strategies to be undertaken together with the types of programs to be carried out that would be relevant to the context of the country and the development objectives sought for. The trend is seen that parameters for measuring development have been from purely economic indicators to more social and environmental, and recently towards rights-based. However, this paper argues that a convergence approach is necessary since economic growth is needed to propel a development along social and environmental spheres. In addition, the ideas evolved about development find congruence and convergence in the UNDP’s sustainable human development model. But central to achieving the same are necessary institutional and governance reform especially in the public sector.

A systems framework to telecommunication policy: the Philippine experience, 1989‐2009

PurposeThis paper aims to present a dialogue‐based systems framework using two cases in the liberalization of Philippine telecoms.Design/methodology/approachThrough a meta‐analysis of government data, academic research and policy studies about Philippine telecoms, the paper presents a holistic view of the role of political, business, and social sectors in policy making and implementation.FindingsThe paper shows how intra‐ and inter‐sector dialogues have resulted in the liberalization and growth of the industry. Conversely, it shows how paucities among such dialogues have had consequences in terms of unutilized capacity and in an oversight about the medium of choice in promoting universal access. Moreover, the paper shows how policy is a product of local traditions and global policy trends.Social implicationsThe paper reinforces calls for states to consider technological innovation and adoption in addressing universal service goals. The Philippines also serves as a case study for other developing states which pursue an agenda of liberalization and deregulation.Originality/valueThe study shows the utility of a proposed dialogue‐based systems framework as a parsimonious solution to the complexity of policy studies.

Multi-level Policy Approach in the Governance of Labour Migration: Considerations From the Philippine Experience

Abstract With 40 years of experience in labour migration, the Philippines has designed a comprehensive approach for its governance that other countries of origin in Asia look up to. The objectives of the migration policy consist in facilitating the employment of Filipino workers abroad and the consequent economic benefits, while ensuring safe and decent conditions for the workers, through a variety of measures, including regulating the recruitment industry, training migrants through specific programmes, supervising the terms and conditions in the labour contract, and making available a system of redress for victimised migrants. These objectives are reached through the national migration policy. However, the national policy has inherent limitations, both in terms of design, implementation and reach, as the outreach of the Philippine government while migrants are abroad is limited to diplomatic and other services. For this reason, the Philippines has engaged both in bilateral and multilateral cooperation. This paper, after presenting the development of migration from the Philippines at the three policy levels, will briefly assess the efficacy of such policies, using indicators, such as growth of migration flows and coverage, to conclude that all three levels must be pursued, with some preference for the bilateral approach within a multilateral framework.

Service Learning as a Response to Disasters and Social Development: A Philippine Experience

An estimated two to six million people are adversely affected every year by natural disasters in the Philippines. This article explains the roots of service learning and discusses how classrooms are effectively linked to communities by increasing student awareness and capability to respond to crisis situations. To sustain voluntary relief efforts by students, community development has been integrated in courses taught in many schools and universities. A case study of the Ateneo de Manila University's ‘Theory and Practice of Social Development' course established in the 1970s for relief and rehabilitation work in flood-prone areas, examines the contents and issues of service learning in the country.

The Liturgical Reform of Vatican II: The Philippine Experience

The Liturgical Reform of Vatican II: The Philippine Experience

The Liturgical Reform of Vatican II: The Philippine Experience

The current reform of the liturgy undertaken by a movement known asthe “reform of the reform” carries an agenda that can have an impact onthe liturgical gains of the Second Vatican Council in the Philippines. Theagenda attempts to retrieve discarded liturgical practices and paraphernalia,but this sometimes results in the loss of active participation. Proponents ofthis counter-reform movement refer to it as a “hermeneutic of continuity”with the Church’s tradition of worship. The paper argues that these counterreformingattempts actually overlook the fact that the Church has beenacknowledging and responding to changes in social and religious culture.

Philippine experience in introducing and scaling up water safety plans

Waterborne disease remains a public health problem in the Philippines. The traditional end-of-the pipe approach of water-quality testing is inadequate for controlling potential risks to drinking water quality. In 2006, with funding from AusAID, WHO pursued its assistance to the Department of Health by piloting a water safety plan in a very large water supply utility, Maynilad Water Services Inc., in the Philippines. It is envisaged that other developing countries who would like to initiate similar activities in the future could look at this experience and learn from the success and difficulties encountered by the Philippines.